Chips Quinn Program Announces 2024 Early Career Reporters
Posting: Monday, June 3, 2024
Journalism Funding Partners is proud to announce the 2024-2025 class of Chips Quinn Program for Diversity in Journalism Reporters. JFP has selected 11 early-career journalists who will receive a one-year mentorship from leaders in the newsroom and Chips Quinn alumni. The Chips Quinn Program continues its commitment to enhancing diversity and providing career growth for aspiring journalists from underrepresented communities.
“We are impressed by the caliber of the 2024 class of Chips Quinn Reporters,” said Jan Neuharth, chair and CEO of Freedom Forum, which is providing $10,000 stipends to each reporter. “We hope that by supporting these young reporters who reflect the country’s diverse perspectives, newsrooms can better report on their communities.”
With the announcement of this year’s class, JFP and Freedom Forum extend a huge congratulations to each of the 2024 Chips Quinn Reporters. All of us at JFP are excited to see the contributions they will make to journalism and are proud to support them in their professional growth and development.
Here are this year’s reporters:
Mili Mansaray, Housing and Labor Reporter, The Beacon
Minnah Arshad, National Correspondent, USA Today
Akiya Dillon, Reporter, Las Vegas-Review
Leah Olajide, Assistant Editor, Detroit Free Press
Katrina Pham, Reporter, Borderless
Samuel Kesler, Assistant Producer, Planet Money: NPR
Amaris Rodriguez, Education Reporter, Growing Community Media
Chaya Tong, Reporter, The Georgia Recorder
Taya Coates, Reporter, VCU Newsroom
Grace Deng, Statehouse Reporter, Washington State Standard
Michael Liptrot, Reporter, South Side Weekly
Started by the Freedom Forum, the original program helped put college interns into newsrooms across the country. Since its beginnings in 1991, the program has reached more than 1,400 people, many of whom are now in leadership positions for local and national newsrooms. Today, the program aims to offer support to early-career journalists already in their respective newsrooms through a 1:1 mentorship by leading members in the journalism field as well as alumni from the program.
Here are this year’s mentors:
Kevin Abourezk, Deputy Managing Editor, ICT News
Mike Anastasi, VP of News, Gannett Co.
Ashleé Clark, Manager, American Journalism Project
Janet Coats, Managing Director, Consortium on Trust in Media & Technology at the University of Florida
Anders Gyllenhaal, Former editor of The Miami Herald, Minneapolis Star Tribune and The N&O; Former McClatchy VP of news
Karen Peterson, Former Editor, The News-Tribune in Tacoma & Tampa Bay Times
Katie Oyan, Deputy News Director for Local News Success, Associated Press
Andy Pergam, Co-Founder, Spark Camp
Ethar El-Katatney, News Product Strategy Lead for the Americas, Bloomberg
Meena Thiruvengadam, Writer & Editorial Consultant, Journalism Trainer
Dalton Walker, Managing Editor, ICT News
This mentoring program will pair an early career journalist with a Chips Quinn Scholars alum or other accomplished journalism professional so that they work together over the course of one year. JFP will offer stipends to participants to be used as career support and Reporters will be encouraged to attend the in-person JFP Board meeting in Sacramento, CA.
“With so many news organizations operating as hybrid or fully virtual workplaces, there is a real need for more intentional mentoring, particularly for journalists just entering the workforce,” said Rusty Coats, Executive Director of JFP. “We are thrilled to have so many high-quality young journalists and so honored to have a slate of such accomplished journalists serving as mentors.”
Stay tuned for updates and stories from our reporters as they begin this exciting phase of their careers. Consider donating to the program and follow us on our website and social media channels to support and celebrate the next generation of journalists.
John C. Quinn (1925-2017)
Founder, father of “Chips” Quinn
The Chips Quinn Program for Diversity in Journalism launched in 1991 with the mission to diversify the industry’s workforce pipeline. The new program will continue to honor the late John C. “Chips” Quinn Jr., a newspaper editor who believed in the importance of diversity in newsrooms to better reflect the communities they serve.
About The Chips Quinn Program for Diversity in Journalism: The Chips Quinn Program for Diversity in Journalism launched in 1991 with the mission to diversify the industry’s workforce pipeline. The new program will continue to honor the late John C. “Chips” Quinn Jr., a newspaper editor who believed in the importance of diversity in newsrooms to better reflect the communities they serve.
###
Media Contact: Rusty Coats, Executive Director | rusty@jfp-local.org | (813) 277-8959
